


1.15: Me, Myself, and Mine

by JustLikeTheSong



Series: NYC Spin-Off 'Verse [18]
Category: Glee
Genre: Drama, F/F, Family, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-16
Packaged: 2017-12-05 04:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLikeTheSong/pseuds/JustLikeTheSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(1) As Valentine's Day approaches, Santana tries to figure out what to do to fix things with Brittany.</p><p>(2) Everyone in New York goes to a Valentine's Day party.  Single Rachel is faced with a chance to have a date for the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hold On

[Santana](http://www3.images.coolspotters.com/photos/610992/naya-rivera-and-mickey-mouse-hawaii-ladies-tank-top-gallery.jpg) hopped from foot to foot, shaking out her wrists, trying not to breathe too heavily,  She narrowed her eyes and jerked her head in an effort to get the sweaty pieces of hair that had fallen out of her bun off of her face.  She rocked forward and jabbed at [Blaine](http://25.media.tumblr.com/bacc9eab1a900e1b7c35de0639189095/tumblr_mgpb32Mq5m1qeds6ko1_r1_500.jpg), who knocked her hand aside.  Swearing in Spanish, she whipped around to face him as he danced around her and took a swing at him.

"You're not concentrating," he said calmly as he easily deflected her punch.

"I don't need the Miyagi bullshit today, Anderson," Santana hissed, and threw another punch wildly, almost screaming in frustration when he dodged it and caught her wrist, and then her other one when she tried to elbow him, pulling her backwards and wrapping her up so that her arms were crossed in front of her chest and he was holding her like a straight jacket.

Santana gritted her teeth, blood boiling, and went very still.  "Alright, _show off_ , I suggest you let me go afores I start fighting dirty and ends your sorry ass."

Blaine let her go immediately.  "Alright, alright," he said with a nervous laugh, "I just didn't want either of us to get hurt."

Santana stalked over to her water bottle on the end table by the couch in their loft.  "It would've been you," she informed him with a scowl before taking a big swig.

"Probably," Blaine said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

She had thought some boxing practice would have helped take her mind off of the constant twisting of her heart, but apparently even violence couldn't make thoughts of Brittany and that horrible phone call go away.

"Santana," Blaine said softly, "are you sure you don't want to talk about this?  It's been four days and you haven't said anything since you came home Friday night.  You were really upset."

He put it so mildly.  She had stormed into the loft, refusing to even look at anyone, and slammed her door behind her before dissolving into fresh tears.  When Rachel had tentatively tried to poke her head in, she'd almost gotten a spiky-heeled boot in the face for her troubles.  Santana couldn't help that her aim was a little off when her vision was so blurred.

Santana glared at Blaine wordlessly and flopped down on the couch, tensing when he sat beside her.

"She isn't taking your calls? Nothing?  Did you try phoning someone else, maybe Tina?"

"What waste of time that was," Santana muttered.  Tina Cohen-Harpy just railed at me for - " She cut herself off with a grimance, recalling Tina's rant, about how she'd been neglecting Brittany, about how down Brittany was about her SAT score and Santana just didn't seem to care, about how Tina was the only one who could understand and comfort her, which she had to do all the time since Brittany's girlfriend was never around.

Part of her knew Tina wasn't being fair and wanted to smack her for it, but a bigger part let that tirade weigh heavily on her.  And she felt sick at the thought that while Brittany was doubting and worrying, Santana was busy partying and hanging out with Kevser, even if it was totally innocent.

Blaine took a drink from his own water bottle.  "Well, you need to do something.  Otherwise you're gonna lose it.  I can tell; I know the feeling," he said.

She knew he was right, but she was too upset to have the grace to admit it right now.  But what could she do?  Brittany refused to respond to her, and each unanswered text, each time she heard Brittany's voicemail greeting, felt like a shard of ice driven into her chest.  She knew she'd become unbearable to live with as a result; in the past few days, she'd made Rachel cry twice, caused Kurt's voice to rise to levels so high she thought glass might break, and reduced Blaine's general disposition from pleasant to carefully polite.  Kurt and Rachel were out for dinner right now, and she knew it was because they didn't want to return to the loft when she was around.  And it was probably for the best, since every little thing everyone did these days made her want to shank someone.

Blaine got back up and wandered into the kitchen, but Santana stayed on the couch, folding her legs up under her and staring balefully at nothing.  Blaine returned to the couch with a bowl of pretzels and turned on the TV, which started playing the disc inside: one of Rachel's rom-coms.  Santana grabbed a handful of pretzels wordlessly, spilling some out of the bowl onto Blaine's lap with the force of her movement, and she heard him sigh in annoyance.  She thought bitterly to the week previous, when it had been him moping over his stupid whiny drama with Kurt and she'd tried to give him advice.  She knew he was just trying to help now, but she still bristled at it, since he and Kurt were sickeningly lovey again.

"This is my favorite part," Blaine said quietly.  Santana actually looked at the screen, watching as Heath Ledger's character started singing on the school stands and Kat looked reluctantly charmed.

"I need to go," Santana said suddenly, standing up.

"Where?"

"To Lima.  I need to go to Brittany.  This is too important for me to keep sitting on my ass doing nothing."

"Now?! Don't you have a midterm tomorrow?"

Santana paused where she was heading to her room to pack some clothes and turned to look at Blaine, who had twisted to look at her over the back of the couch.

"In the morning.  I'll take the first flight out after."

She expected Mr. Responsibility to tell her she shouldn't blow off her other classes, but all he did was nod, his eyes lighting up in approval, and she managed a hint of a smile in his direction before she went to her room to pack and book a flight.

She wasn't going to let go of what she and Brittany had without putting up a fight.

And Santana Lopez certainly knew how to do that.

***

The crowds in the halls of McKinley still parted for her nervously when [Santana](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbelptmqHf1qeds6ko1_r1_500.jpg) stalked her way through the school the following afternoon, even though she hadn't been going there for several months now.  Not that she noticed, or cared, until she spotted someone familiar.

"Tina Turner!" 

[Unique](http://25.media.tumblr.com/1accb32450a8ae0a4c024da5bf11582b/tumblr_mgcsgh3f8J1qeds6ko1_500.jpg) somehow knew to respond to this and looked over her shoulder curiously as Santana approached.

"Where is Brittany?" Santana demanded.

Unique frowned at her.  "I don't kn-"

"Find her.  Now.  Tell her to go to the choir room, and don't tell her who is waiting for her."

"Unique does not take orders," Unique said, flipping her hair and glaring down at Santana, "especially not from some bossy girl who has robbed Brittany of all her fierceness."

Santana deflated at that.  "Look, just...if you see her, tell her to come to the choir room.  Please."

Unique eyed her with careful disdain, but then her lips quirked up in sympathy and she nodded.

"Thanks," Santana muttered, and moved past her, keeping an eye out for Brittany as she headed towards the choir room.

She found it empty except for some of the band guys, who she asked to wait outside until Brittany came.  They had always liked her best.  She took a seat in the back row and tried to calm her furiously beating heart as she waited, either for Brittany or for someone who would know where she was.

She had just managed to calm down a little when her breath caught in her throat and her heart renewed its frenetic pace at the sight of [Brittany](http://i1.cdnds.net/12/35/618x871/ustv_glee_season4_heather_morris.jpg) in the doorway, staring at her in surprise.

"Santana," she said softly, hesitating where she stood.  Santana's heart broke all over again as she looked at her: the slumped shoulders, the puffy eyes, the way her feet dragged as she entered the room.  "What are you doing here?"

Santana swallowed heavily, shifting in her seat.  "It sounds crazy, but I miss...this place so much.  It's where we fell in love.  Back in sophomore year, when I was so scared, so in denial about what I felt, I still couldn't help but sit in this back row and secretly watch you.  I...I counted the number of times that you'd smile at me, and I'd die on the days that you didn't.  And when you were brave and I couldn't be, we used music so I could say what I couldn't with just words.  And now...it's clear to me that I need to tell you something, and words aren't enough to make you understand."  She paused when Brittany was standing right in front of her and took a deep breath as the band guys came back in.  "Will you listen?"

Brittany's eyes were cautious, but she sat down across from Santana silently, and the band started to [play](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoDexTZTYlk).

She poured her heart, her soul, into the song, watching Brittany's dull expression slowly change, her eyes filling with tears.  Santana felt her own eyes sting and she tried to hold it together through the rest of the song, when all she wanted to do was abandon it and throw her arms around Brittany.

_"...we're gonna make it now, and I can see it now."_

They gazed at each other for a moment.  A tear slipped down Brittany's cheek. 

"Britt, you know...you know I will never love anyone like I love you.  I haven't been as good of a girlfriend to you as I should be, and I'm sorry.  But please, please don't give up on us," Santana said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Brittany's face crumpled and she buried her face in her hands.  After a moment, Santana opened her mouth to speak again, but Brittany cut her off, crossing the distance between them to pull Santana into her arms.

"I'm so sorry," Brittany cried, burying her face against Santana's neck.  Tears escaped Santana's eyes as well, and she blinked against them, wrapping her arms around Brittany and kissing her hair with trembling lips.

"It's okay," she breathed, slumping against her girlfriend as all the tension drained from her body, "we're going to be okay.  We'll work it out."

"I love you," Brittany choked out, pulling back to look Santana in the eye, and then leaned forward and kissed her urgently, "I love you so much."

"It's only you for me," Santana told her, voice thick with emotion as she kissed away her tears, "and I'm happy with that."

"Me too."

Santana held Brittany's face between her hands.  "We can't be happy all the time.  But I'm going to do whatever I can to be here for you more, okay?  Even if it's just over the phone."

Brittany nodded, dropping her eyes.  "College is hard, though.  I don't want you to do bad just because I'm still stuck here.  Lord Tubbington said he had to drop out of Harvard to be with his ex, and things went sour after that."

"Lord Tubbington doesn't know shit," Santana said with a laugh, "I'm not dropping out, and neither are you, and next fall, it'll be you and me making that city and all its citizens our bitch."

Brittany gave her a watery smile and sniffed, rubbing at her nose.  "Will you stay for tomorrow?"

"Valentine's Day?" Santana grinned and kissed Brittany's hand.  "Absolutely.  Although, I think we're going to get roped into having dinner with my mother, since Dad left today for a convention in Michigan."

***

"When I first found out Santana had skipped out on her classes this week, I was ready to spit, I was so angry."  [Santana](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5uzmgqZYn1qeds6ko1_500.jpg) snickered and nudged [Brittany's](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFmFLaE4yMXBTNEJHVjVWMUxMbE5kd1EAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg) shoulder when [Mom](http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/pc/Gloria+Estefan+Gloria+Estefan+Claire+Danes+GYmS68J-jWBl.jpg) winked.  "But when I found out it was because you two were having troubles, I understood that the passion inside wouldn't allow her to do anything but come home and fight for you."  Mom smiled and patted Santana's hand.  "So I forgive you, mija." 

Santana rolled her eyes fondly.  "¡Gracias!  But I'm a big girl now, Mom.  I can make my own decisions."

"You'e a big girl who is staying in my home," Mom reminded her, settling back on her side of the table and smiling at the Breadstix server who had just arrived with their drinks.

"Actually, Santana is sleeping over at my house tonight," Brittany chirped, snapping a breadstick in half and offering a piece for Santana to bite.

"Oh, is that so?" Mom said, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, it is Valentine's Day," Santana replied, trying to stare Mom down but failing spectacularly to keep the blush off her cheeks.

"Yes, you've told me several times," Mom said, laughing, "and don't worry: I haven't forgotten that I am currently cramping your style."

Brittany smiled and looked between the two of them.  "Santana, I think you get your style from your mom."

Santana scowled at Brittany, a smile on the corner of her mouth, and Mom laughed again.  "Smart girl!  You're right to hold on to her, niña."

At that, Santana's scowl melted to a full-on smile, and she took Brittany's hand in hers.  "You're right about that."

"I'm right about everything," Mom said mildly, looking down at her menu, "you should listen to your mother in all things."

Santana snorted and Brittany giggled.

"You don't think so?" Mom gave them a superior look.  "Well, how about this?  I think, after I have very generously paid for your dinner, the two of you should actually go to my house."  She smirked at their confused expressions.  "Because I won't be there.  Empty house."

"Mom..." Santana said softly, surprised.

"Santana, I may tease you, but you are a young woman now, out on her own, growing up miles from home.  I am so proud of you," Mom said, her eyes misting, "and I can see how much happier you are now than you were in the past.  And that is something I will always be grateful for."  She smiled at Brittany and Brittany beamed back at her, squeezing Santana's hand.

Later, when Santana and Brittany were alone, enjoying a candle light bath together, Santana leaned her head back to rest on Brittany's shoulder.  

"I'm glad everything worked out."

Brittany hummed, her arms sliding snug around Santana's ribs under the water.  "Me too.  And since we're all alone, we don't have to worry about Lord Tubbington asking for a threesome again.  I told him you weren't into boys."

"Or cats," Santana said with a quiet laugh.  She fell silent, breathing slowly and nuzzling Brittany's neck.  "...do you remember when I came out to my parents?"

"Yeah," Brittany said gently, "I remember you were so scared.  I just wanted to wrap you in a blanket.  And if they hadn't been so nice about it, I would have told that robin that lives under the eave by my window to go poop on their cars."

"I didn't expect them to be so accepting," Santana mused.  She pushed down the painful memories of coming out to someone else she loved, shaking her head and wiggling so that she could turn around and face Brittany.  She pressed a kiss to her collarbone.  "But you were there for me and I don't think I could've gotten through that whole mess and Finn's idiocy if you hadn't been.  So when you're scared...about us, about anything, I want to be here for you, too.  I will be.  Okay?"

"Okay," Brittany smiled, sliding her hands along the skin of Santana's back and leaning down for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Mine (Taylor Swift) by Santana


	2. We Get By

It was Rachel's first Valentine's day without a boy in years.  Last year, she'd been engaged to Finn and determinedly oblivious to or in defiance of everyone's horror at the development.  The year before that, technically, she'd been single, but she'd spent the whole time pining after Finn, unable to move on from their break up.  And the year before that, she'd been dating Jesse while still really hung up on Finn.

So really, it was Rachel's first Valentine's day without Finn in years.

Really being single, with no chasing after boys or trying to make them jealous, was a state Rachel was still readjusting to.  When she thought back to her high school years, she was sort of impressed.  For a so-called glee loser, she sure had had her fair share of beaus.  But everything that had happened with Finn last year and with Brody last semester had taught her that she needed to concentrate on her career and mend her heart before she could consider dating again.  

Being in New York, the city that never slept, and having a good group of friends certainly helped.  If she hadn't had Kurt, Blaine, and Santana with her these past few months, she never would have survived.  She used to love playing the ingeunue, but it wasn't until New York that she had realized how naive she truly was in some things.  Not that she was going to let that discourage her any more.  

Still, Valentine's Day was never the easiest day to be single, especially when [she](http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mewkoieXOX1qilqg8.png) was at a bar decorated in purple and red Cupids and hearts and flowers, and couples donning the same colors flirted and danced and kissed around her.  [Kurt](http://www.mensusa.com/images/BeautifulMens-Purple-Poplin-Fashion-Dress-With-Nice-Cut-Smooth-Fabric-Vested.jpg) and [Blaine](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m19cp01ute1r66csno1_500.jpg) were sipping on a screwdriver and beer respectively, thanks to Kevser's generosity, and well on their way to tipsy.  Kurt giggled and fell back against Rachel's shoulder at something Blaine had just said, and Blaine's hands were absently massaging Kurt's legs where they were propped up over Blaine's lap.  [Kevser](http://divagalsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/GleeProject2Aylin.Ali_.jpg) had a date as well, a woman named [Jess](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb497pN4OE1qcds2wo2_250.gif), and the two of them were currently plastered together on the small dance floor, staring at each other heatedly as their hips swayed.  Oh, young love.  [Mike](http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRccwNRup7OItYSPCp4-Bdm9wV9ZFGNxSLVFrlZ2X8vUvP5hCpx92dIntzl) was too busy texting Tina nonstop to be much company, and Santana was in Lima with Brittany, but at least Rachel had [Adia](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm63605504/nm1166613), who, despite being very pretty and one of the genuinely sweetest people Rachel had ever encountered (she had no idea how Adia managed to survive in the cutthroat setting of NYADA), had no date for the evening.  

"Being single on Valentine's Day kind of sucks, huh?" Rachel said, raising her voice over the music, before she took a sip of her own wine cooler.

Adia smiled.  "I'm kind of used to it.  I...actually went out on a date with Justin, you know, Santana's friend? Last week.  But I didn't want to rush anything and scare him off."

"Ohhh, that's exciting, though," Rachel said, resting her chin on her hands.  "So do you have some horror stories from past relationships?"

"Not really."

"Come on," Rachel pouted, "you know all about Brody after what happened with your friend, so my embarrassing relationship failures are out in the open.  You must have some utterly dramatic and torrid love affair in your past, something that inspires you as an artist! Spill!"

"Nope," Adia laughed, "no real horror stories here.  Just a few short relationships that didn't work out."

"I dated a boy who broke up with me by cracking an egg on my face and singing an intimidating Queen song at my glee club," Rachel said mildly.  She paused, tilting her head to the side.  "I almost married a boy who threw eggs at me before we ever started dating."

Adia stared at her.  "Rachel, you have terrible taste in guys."

Rachel smiled wryly.  "It does seem that way, doesn't it?  Still, the most romantic day of the year...I guess I'm just not used to spending these sorts of occasions alone.  I did hook up with Blaine's brother at New Years, after all."

Adia linked their arms.  "Well, we'll just have to stick together for this one and make sure we both survive all the sappy couples showering each other with love, right?"

"Right!"

"-sad we never got to do in glee club?" Kurt's voice suddenly met Rachel's ears and she and Adia turned to pay attention to him.  He was gripping Blaine's shirtfront in earnest.  

Blaine took Kurt's hand and pressed the palm to his cheek, closing his eyes and smiling.

"Sing a sexy duet!"

Blaine frowned, opening his eyes.  "Really? We never...?" He turned to look at Rachel for confirmation.  She did have a mental catalogue of all numbers performed by her and her peers in New Directions, after all.

Rachel shook her head.  

"Obviously, this needs to be remedied," Blaine said, looking adamant.  He stood up and offered Kurt his hand.

"Right you are, good sir," Kurt grinned at him, "lead the way!"  He wiggled his fingers at Rachel and Adia as Blaine pulled him towards the stage.

"Come on," Rachel said, jumping to her feet, "let's go dance!"  She raised her voice.  "We'll just leave Mike here, since he is apparently too attached to his phone to even dance.   **Mike Chang**.  Can't be convinced to dance."

"Okay, okay," Mike said, looking up from his phone for the first time in a good ten minutes, "I'm coming!"

The three of them made their way to the crowded dance floor as Kurt and Blaine took to the stage and their song started to [play](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSc767VGPg).  They were just lucky 'A Bar of Note(s)' was having a V-day Karaoke Lovefest Party.

" _You grip your hands around my throat, and you strip the buttons off my coat..._ "

Rachel swayed to the music, smiling up at Kurt and Blaine who flirted their way through the song.  Living in New York had certainly caused them to relax in how they were around other people; they were both much more touchy-feely than they had been back in Ohio (though Blaine had always been pretty physically affectionate), and the wolf-whistles as they danced around each other just encouraged them to grab at each other, a little tipsy from their drinks, and hold each other close.

" _...thump, thump, the thumping in my chest, as I lose the feeling in my fingertips..._ "

"I'm gonna go bring Kevser and Jess over," Rachel called to Mike and Adia, who smiled and nodded before Mike twirled Adia under his arm.

" _...please check your clothing at the door..._ "

Rachel laughed as she wove through the sea of dancing couples, watching as Kurt actually tried to undo Blaine's bowtie in time with the lyrics as he shimmied his shoulders.  Just as she found Kevser and Jess and Kevser grabbed her hand to pull her to them, a pair of hands gripped her hips from behind and she found herself swaying in time with the music, pressed back against a strong, hard chest.

" _...shall we get intimate again?  I think so, I think so..._ " The stranger whisper-sang along with Kurt and Blaine in her ear.

She didn't pull away, but instead leaned back into her dance partner's embrace, grinning.  It felt good to be desired, to close her eyes for a minute and pretend she had a boyfriend to spend the occasion with, to kiss amongst the glitter and cocktails, especially when Kevser leaned over and called to her.  "Get it girl! He's hot!"

Rachel had to admit the whole thing was pretty hot.  She couldn't see this mysterious guy, so she could imagine him to be whoever she wanted - or didn't want.  And the sight of Kurt and Blaine up on the stage pressing close and giving each other major bedroom eyes was way sexier than she as their friend would ever acknowledge out loud.  She reached up and held the back of the stranger's neck, shivering a little as he pressed against her and his lips skated along her neck.  Rachel's head swam, drunk with the knowledge that she was wanted, that she didn't need to be alone, not really.

" _...when you are close to me, I shiver..._ "

Kurt and Blaine finished the song with a passionate kiss, hands clutching at each other, to the raucous applause and catcalls of the patrons of the bar.  Rachel decided it was time to face her suitor, and if he was acceptable, perhaps learn his name and let him buy her a drink.  She turned around, and her smile slipped off her face.

"Brody?"

"Hey Rach!" [Brody](http://i.imgur.com/4evR7.gif) looked surprised to see her as well.  He was drunk, his eyes glazed over as they scanned her from head to toe.  His hands still rested on her hips.  "I see you've gone back to your small-town look."  He leaned closer to her, and she seemed frozen on the spot.  "It's okay.  You're still cute."  She could smell the beer on his breath as his lips grazed against her cheek.

"Wait, this is Brody?" Kevser's voice, cold, cut through the air, and suddenly an arm wiggled between Rachel and Brody and Kevser pulled Rachel away.

"Who's Brody?" Jess asked with a frown.

"Hi ladies."  Brody gave them a charming smile.  "I see you've heard of me."

"Oh, I've heard more than enough," Kevser bit out, wrapping an arm around Rachel's shoulders.  

Brody ignored her.  "You here alone, Rachel?"

"Yes," Rachel said faintly.

"Aww," he cooed, tucking a finger under her chin, "that sucks! Nobody likes to be alone on V-day, right?"

"She's not alone," Adia said.  She and Mike were suddenly standing behind Brody.  Rachel started at the sight of them and pulled her head out of Brody's reach. "She's here with us."

"But no date, right?" Brody said with a grin.  "Hey, I'll be your date tonight, if you want."

"I-"

"I mean, we never did get to properly hooking up, after all." Mike put a hand on Brody's shoulder, but Brody shrugged it off.  "It's the most romantic day of the year, Rachel.  A cute girl like you shouldn't be alone."

"Dude," Mike said, sounding terse, "I think you should leave."

"Yeah," Kevser said, staring at him with derision, "you didn't even follow the dress code."

"Hey, I'm not here to cause trouble," Brody said, raising his hands with another sloppy grin, "Rachel's call."

Rachel stared up at him, the first person in New York to notice her.  He had been, for all intents and purposes, her rebound from Finn, but he hadn't helped her move on.  Everything that had happened with him had just brought her a world of pain.  Brody had been sexy, worldly, what Rachel thought a mature Manhattan man would be like, the complete opposite of Finn in many ways, and he'd swept her off her feet when she was lonely and convinced that she needed to be in love in New York in order to grow up.

"He doesn't have to go.  In fact, I have a song I want to sing to him," she said.

Kevser and Mike groaned, and Adia stared at her incredulously.  "You can't be serious!"

"I am," Rachel said with a firm nod, "and I need your help.  Ladies?" She turned to Kevser and Jess smartly, eyebrows raised, and Jess seemed to understand first, grinning and grapsing her hand and Kevser's, tugging them both to the stage.

When Rachel got up on the stage and selected her song, she looked out over the crowd to see Brody watching in smug curiousity, and behind him, Blaine and Kurt joinging Mike and looking increasingly concerned once they spotted Brody and Mike started filling them in on what was going on.  Rachel just smiled as the opening notes of her song started to [play](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdBoUlBo_6k) and Adia, Kevser, and Jess grabbed mics to back her up.

" _Here's the thing, we started out friends,_ " Rachel gripped the mic, staring at Brody, " _it was cool but it was all pretend, yeah, yeah..._ "

The crowd started to dance, and the smile slowly slid from Brody's face as Rachel continued to sing.  Blaine placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled and Kurt cupped his hands around his mouth to cheer at her.

" _...all you'd ever hear me say is how I pictured me with you, that's all you'd ever hear me say..._ "

Rachel pulled the mic from the stand and bounced up and down to the beat of the song, her free hand holding on to the top of the mic stand.  Kevser, Jess, and Adia were dancing around behind her as they providing the backing vocals.  She grinned out over the crowd, feeling incredibly light until she met Brody's eyes again, and now he had the gall to look upset, after everything that had happened.

" _How can I put it?  You put me on.  I even fell for that stupid love song..._ "

Maybe being single was something to adjust to.  But it was better than being with someone who made her feel terrible.  Someone who didn't value her.

" _...how come I'd never hear you say, I just wanna be with you?  I guess you never felt that way..._ "

The crowd continued to dance and cheer, and Rachel saw Kurt and Blaine push forward to flank Brody, who looked startled when they each took one of his arms and started leading him towards the door.

" _You had your chance; you blew it! Out of sight, out of mind..._ "

Brody glared at Blaine and Kurt once they reached the exit and then looked at Rachel once more, his mouth twisting into a sour grimace, before making his exit and stumbling out into the cold street.  Adia and Kevser suddenly flanked Rachel, wrapping their arms around her waist, with Jess on Kevser's other side, and the four of them finished out the song together.

" _Since you been gone, I can breathe for the first time! I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah, thanks to you, now I get, I get what I want..._ "

***

A couple hours, several drinks followed by several glasses of water, many songs and turns on the dance floor, and half an hour spent trying to rescue Kurt's suit jacket in the bathroom after a guy spilt his drink on it later, and the party was starting to wind down.  Mike was filming himself and everything else with his phone while he danced on the less-packed dance floor, Adia, Jess and Kevser were sitting at a table with their high-heeled feet propped up on chairs, and Kurt and Blaine sat next to Rachel, content and snuggling.

Kurt reached for Rachel's hand.  "You okay, Rachel?  Seeing that jackass again couldn't have been easy, especially on today of all days."

She smiled and squeezed his hand back.  "I am fine.  I won't lie and pretend I wasn't freaking out on the inside, but I say any encounter that leads to such a cathartic and expressive musical experience must be a postive thing.  And if I ever decide to seriously pursue song-writing as part of my extensive and successful career, I'll have plenty of material to draw from so I can join all the starlets who air their dirty laundry with catchy melodies.  I'll be keeping company with Kelly and Taylor and Adele!"

"Rachel Berry," Kurt said with a sigh, "ever indomitable."

"I hope you don't mind me saying, but kicking him out of here was very gratifying," Blaine said, grinning lazily.

"So was watching him go," Rachel chirped.

"Alright folks, it's that time of the night where we start to cool things off, so if anyone has a final song for the evening, you've got fifteen minutes!  Happy Love Day," the DJ announced.

Mike ran up to them.  "Come on guys; how about one for us lonely hearts? I need something to take my mind off missing Tina."

"One for the road?" Blaine asked, looking at Kurt and Rachel.

"Let's do it," Rachel said with a decisive nod and wide smile, and the four of them made their way to the stage.  

"This is to celebrate all our friends on Valentine's Day," Mike said into a mic before he selected a song, and Rachel started to bop up and down to the fast-paced piano [intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=waCW1yQFx10#t=5s).  Blaine twisted back and forth jumping like he was dodging punches, and Kurt ran on the spot, nodding his head.

" _We are young, we run free..._ "

They danced like fools, Mike free-styling with a goofy expression on his face, Kurt and Blaine slinging their arms around each other and Kurt twirling Rachel with his free arm as they all sang.  Some people came back to the dance floor and started to move with the beat of the song, mingling in groups rather than just couples.  Rachel couldn't wipe the grin off her face, smiling so much it made her cheeks hurt.  Kevser, Jess, and Adia joined them on the small stage, making it more crowded than the dance floor.

Rachel used to think moving to New York meant she had grown up.  That she had to be a grown up right away.  But she was still growing, still a work in progress.  And like any work of art, she couldn't rush the masterpiece that would be Rachel Berry.  And that was perfectly alright.

" _...see our friends, see the sights, feel aaalright!"_

So long as that masterpiece was complete by 25 and she had at least one Tony under her belt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Shiver, Shiver (Walk the Moon) by Kurt and Blaine
> 
> Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson) by Rachel
> 
> Alright (Supergrass) by Rachel, Mike, Blaine, and Kurt

**Author's Note:**

> Song Order: Mine, Shiver Shiver, Since U Been Gone, Alright


End file.
